In the study, the latest in the ever-changing world of birth trends, researchers asked 102 pregnant women and 341 midwives, obstetricians and other doctors at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia about situations that would prompt them to choose a Caesarean section over a vaginal delivery.

The BBC reports that the group was asked about a range of issues, including “mild complications such as a prolonged birth and superficial tears to severe problems such as anal and urinary incontinence, vaginal prolapse and severe tearing.” In nearly all of the cases, the pregnant women were more willing to deal with complications in order to have natural birth than their doctors or midwives.

In addition to indicating that having a vaginal delivery is important to many women, the findings “may also indicate that doctors are biased by their inevitable involvement in complex cases, or labours where things have gone wrong,” said Professor Philip Steer, editor of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which published the study.

Despite the findings among Australian women, C-sections are on the rise worldwide, and many women are reportedly requesting the operations voluntarily. The operations are becoming especially popular in developing countries, where medical technology is improving.

Brazil tops the charts, where 44 percent of all births in 2006 were C-sections. Some believe doctors are encouraging the operations, while other say patient requests are the reason for the rise. As the World Health Organization recommends that the procedure be used for only about 15 percent of live births, the country is launching campaigns to encourage women to experience natural childbirth.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, home births are reportedly making a comeback in the United States. Time magazine reports that while home births only account for 1 percent of U.S. births, “there’s a movement afoot to license more lay midwives to attend home births.”

Some women believe giving birth at home with the help of a midwife, and without medical interventions, such as labor induction or epidurals, is the best way to experience a truly joyful birth.

The American Medical Association is fighting the trend, however, and is backing legislation proposed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) that stresses the dangers of home births.

Many worry that the legislation could lead to making home births illegal. The American College of Nurse-Midwives also released a statement defending home births in response to the legislation, citing a British Medical Journal study indicating that hospital and home births are equally as safe.

MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, provides thorough information about C-sections on its Web site, including when the procedure is necessary, risks of the procedure and recovery.

Use the findingDulcinea Web Guide to Pregnancy to find the best online resources for learning about conception, prenatal care, childbirth—including Caesarean sections—and other pregnancy-related matters.